Palestinian Troops Deployed in Gaza in Bid to Deter Attacks

Hundreds of Palestinian troops fanned out Friday across a swath of the northern Gaza Strip, checking car trunks and scrutinizing identity papers. They were acting on a pledge by new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to try to quell attacks against Israel.

Israel welcomed the deployment, which was the first on a large scale in more than four years of fighting. Both sides hope it will be a prelude to the reestablishment of high-level contacts and the revival of peace talks.

“I wouldn’t say we have the whole thing in our pocket just yet, but Abu Mazen’s first steps are very impressive in tone, rhetoric and action,” said Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, referring to Abbas by his nickname.

The Palestinian troop presence is aimed at deterring militants from firing Kassam rockets at Israeli towns across the Gaza border. A 17-year-old Israeli girl, critically injured in a rocket attack last week in the Negev desert town of Sderot, died Friday after being taken off life support.

Rocket and mortar fire from northern Gaza for months have been such constants that a 24-hour period without any such attacks was front-page news in Israel on Friday. “A Day Without Kassams,” read the headline in the mass-circulation daily Yediot Aharonot.

Abbas, who took office as president of the Palestinian Authority a week ago, is trying to persuade militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to halt their attacks. So far, he has been unable to secure promises of calm from them, but Hamas has signaled that it is receptive to the idea of an accord.

Abbas’ office said in a statement that talks with Hamas were “positive and continuing.”

Israeli hard-liners warned that any renewed outbreak of violence would be met with sharp retaliation. Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said Israel would respond with “great force” to any new attacks by militants.

Even the left-leaning Peres said Israel would step in if Abbas was unable to rein in the militants. “Look, we can’t walk around with a bullet in our barrel, making constant threats,” he said. “If the Palestinians succeed in stopping this, great. If not, we will be forced to do it ourselves.”

It was unclear whether the lull in rocket attacks was due to the Palestinian troop deployment, or whether Hamas and other militant organizations were simply waiting to see how their talks with Abbas played out. Palestinian police and security officers said they would use persuasion, not force, if they encountered any militant cells preparing to fire rockets or mortar shells.

Abbas’ early days in office have been marked by a series of ups and downs in his relations with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Sharon, furious about an attack by Palestinian militants on a Gaza border crossing that killed six Israelis, broke off contacts with Abbas’ government even before the new leader was sworn in last weekend.

The prime minister restored ties five days later, after Israeli military and intelligence officials said they believed that Abbas might be able to strike a deal with Hamas and that he was making a genuine effort to halt violence.

In a rare gesture, Sharon sent holiday greetings to Abbas and his prime minister, Ahmed Korei, aides said Friday. Palestinians are celebrating Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, one of the most important occasions on the Muslim calendar.

Abbas and Sharon expressed renewed hopes for peace in their exchange of messages, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said.

In another goodwill gesture, Israel reopened the main Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which had been closed since a Dec. 12 attack on an Israeli military post killed five soldiers. Thousands of Palestinians have been stranded in Egypt, and in coming days, thousands more will be trying to return to Gaza after the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Times special correspondent Ibrahim Adwan contributed to this report from northern Gaza.